First week in the MTC!

Hola las Familias y Amigos,

Well, it's been one week in the MTC, and already it seems like home. I thought it would take a lot more adjusting, but it hasn't been bad. I'll just give you a rundown of my missionary life first.

We wake up at 6:20 AM most mornings. Sometimes we get to sleep in until 6:30! I thought that this was going to be the hardest part, but I have been able to do it so far! Most likely, it is because I have something that I really want to get up for. After showering and getting ready, we have study time until breakfast. I never thought I could get anything done before breakfast, much less before 7:45. The studying has been going really well. The basics of Spanish are not hard, but it's about to get harder I think. I have memorized a few different things in Spanish, like the Missionary Purpose (see Preach My Gospel, "My Purpose") and some gospel principles. Teaching the gospel is a different matter. You can't just know the material, you have to know how to teach and you need to have the Spirit with you. I have the Spirit most often out of the three requirments, so it's ok. Speaking of the Spirit, the MTC is like a constant fountain of it. It's going to be hard to go to a worldly place like the airport when the time comes.

We have class or study until lunch at 12:30, then more class and study. The food is pretty good here. Not great, but good. I drink chocolate mile and orange Fanta with every meal, including breakfast. My two teachers are Hermona Rosales and Hermano Aston. Both are returned missionaries going to BYU. After lunch is usually more class and study until Dinner, and class and study until 9:00, when we plan for the next day, and at 9:30, we have.... more study time! It's actually quite nice. There is a lot of time where we determine what we should be working on ourselves (appropriately named Missionary Determined Time or MDT).

We "hang out" with the zone a little bit until 10:15, when we write in our journals, read scriptures, have a companionship prayer, then go to bed.

I am in a "tri-panionship" with two elders who are going to Rosario, Argentina. One of them, Elder Davis did not get here until Saturday for travel reasons. My other Companion is Elder Breshears. They are from Montana and Idaho, respectively. I like them both a lot. We haven't had any problems yet.

Our district is awesome. We have 3 Elder companionships and 2 Sister companionships. We are all pretty close already, which is great in the classroom setting.

One thing I didn't know is that missionaries aren't supossed to chew gum, so I will be sending my Costco pack back home : (

Kelsey, if you are reading this, do you know an Elder Bigelow who is going to my same mission? I don't know his first name.

Sheyene, I haven't met any of the people I was suppose to look for, sorry.

Summer, Thanks for the treats and notes, and tell Hunter and Ethan I love them.

Sierra and Stacia, (and John and Chuck), tell your kids I love them!

Mark, can you get me addresses for any of our friends who like to be written to? Gracias.

Shalet, don't let Mom make you write me.

Sorry this has to be short, I don't have very much time.

I love you all!